What did Dave Chappelle say about Charlie Kirk? Saudi Arabia joke controversy explained

Dave Chappelle is trending after he referred to Charlie Kirk while speaking as part of his participation at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, held in Saudi Arabia. Many other comedians were invited to the event.

The involvement of all the personalities is being slammed since they went to perform in a country that does not have a good record when it comes to human rights, as per USA Today.

A report by The New York Times on October 2, 2025, stated that the comedians who went to the event were joking about the United States, and the Saudi government had also paid for their acts. Dave seemingly referred to the issues of freedom of speech in the US during his performance.

“Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you’ll get canceled. I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out. It’s easier to talk here than it is in America”, Dave Chappelle was heard saying while he appeared on stage.

The latest update arrives a few days after Jimmy Kimmel’s show was preempted for delivering a monologue addressing Charlie Kirk in an episode. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dave even opened up on his fear of returning to the US, stating that the country might do something to him so that he can’t say something that he wants to.

The Riyadh Festival has already been in the headlines after comedian Atsuko Okatsuka revealed the rules issued for the participants. Otasuka shared the details on Threads, revealing the restrictions imposed for the performances, including not being allowed to perform anything that will degrade or defame the country’s religion, public figures, and more.

Dave Chappelle and other comedians receive criticism: Statements and other details explained

Dave Chappelle and the other comedians were accused of trying to divert attention away from the fact that the Middle Eastern country has violated human rights in the past.

As mentioned, the Blue Streak star and everyone else are now being criticized by multiple personalities. On the other hand, Bill Burr, who also went to the event, defended himself as he spoke on his podcast last month. He referred to the experience of appearing on stage and stated:

“The royals were loved the show, Everyone was happy … They want to see real stand-up comedy. Definitely top three experiences I’ve had. I think it’s going to lead to a lot of positive things.”

According to The Sun, the event in Riyadh has been organized on the seventh anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi’s death, who was a journalist for the Washington Post. For the unversed, Khashoggi was murdered when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

While speaking on the WTF podcast, Marc Maron referred to those who attended the event, questioning the reasons for promoting it despite knowing that the country “brought you 9/11.” The podcaster said that “two weeks of laughter” cannot make everyone forget the incident that happened, and continued:

“I mean, the same guy that’s gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone saw [journalist] Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a fu**ing suitcase. But don’t let that stop the yucks, it’s gonna be a good time!”

On the other hand, David Cross also said in a lengthy statement on his website that he was feeling “disgusted” as all those who participated in the festival were the people that he admires a lot. He claimed that the comedians who were a part of the event cannot be taken seriously for another time.

Apart from Bill Burr, Pete Davidson defended himself while speaking to Theo Von. However, Dave Chappelle and anyone else have not yet responded to the criticism.